Rotary-cutter-type cast-removal device



Oct. 20, 1970 L. H. SMITH ROTARY-CUTTER-TYPE CAST-REMOVAL DEVICE 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 Filed May 8, 1968 ewwii'zrz Mar/5. km

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ATTORNEY United States Patent US. Cl. 30265 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure is essentially concerned with a castremoval device wherein rotary-disc cutters are employed in conjunction with cast-guiding means to effect severance of a cast.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION As is well known to those versed in the art, various means have been provided to effect removal of casts, as

from persons limbs and other parts of the body. However, these prior devices have not been entirely satisfactory, being extremely diflicult to operate in certain loca tions on a patients person, and often causing undue hardship and extreme pain to the patient.

SUMMARY Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a cast-removal device of the type described which is extremely simple to operate, permitting the doctor or other operator to proceed cutting in substantially any desired direction to facilitate removal of the cast, all without subjecting the patient to undue discomfort.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a cast-removal device having the advantageous characteristics mentioned in the preceding paragraph, which is extremely simple in construction, durable and reliable throughout a long useful life, and which can be economically manufactured for sale at a reasonable cost.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawing, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevational view showing a cast-removal r FIG. 4 is a sectional elevational view taken generally along the line 44 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now more particularly to the drawing, a castremoval device is there generally designated 10, and may include a housing 11 of interiorly hollow construction having its lower and front sides open, as at 12 and 13, respectively. The housing 11 may include a hollow holder or mounting part 15 provided with a generally circular end wall 16, see FIG. 4, and having a circumferential side wall 17 provided through its upper and rear edge regions with an attachment flange 18. A complementary housing part is designated 20 and may include a quadrant or sector-shaped end wall 21 disposed in facing spaced relation with the end wall 16, having an arcuate side wall 22 extending therefrom. The arcuate side wall 22 may be of approximately ninety degrees and provided therealong with an edge flange 23 in facing engagement with the edge flange 18 of the housing part 15. Any suitable securing means, such as threaded fasteners 25, and pins or dowels 26 may extend through the mating flanges 18 and 23, securing the housing parts and at their flanges.

The end wall 16 is formed with a generally central thru opening 27, while the end wall 21 of the housing part 20 is provided with a similar thru opening 28 in substantial alignment with the opening 27. Projecting outward from the end wall 16 surrounding the opening 27 is a nipple 30 which is externally threaded at 46.

Extending rotatably through the housing 11, being received in the openings 27 and 28, is a shaft 32. The shaft 32 is adapted for attachment in driven relation to a source of power, such as an electric motor, as through a flexible shaft. If desired, the housing 11 may be provided with a suitable handle 59, threaded on the nipple 30-, for manipulation, or the housing itself may be grasped by the operator.

Remote from the opening 27, the shaft 32 may be of reduced diameter, as at 35, being formed with an annular shoulder 36 facing away from the opening 27. The reduced shaft part may be provided with a key slot 37, and a cutter assembly 38 circumposed about the reduced shaft part and keyed thereto, as by a key 39, in bearing engagement with the shoulder 36. From the cutter assembly 38, the reduced shaft part 35 extends spacedly through a bearing 31 in the wall opening 28, and terminates exteriorly thereof in a threaded end portion 40. A sleeve 41 is circumposed about the reduced shaft part 35, being rotatably received in the bearing 31 and having an enlarged inner end portion 42 abutting the cutter assembly 38. Threaded on the shaft end portion may be a nut 43 and a lock washer 44 is interposed between the sleeve 42 and nut to maintain the sleeve and cutter assembly 38 firmly on the shaft 32. A protective cap 45 may be engaged over the shaft end portion 40 and associated nut 43, being press-fit on an annular formation 46 provided on the end wall 21 about the opening 28.

The cutter assembly 38 may include an annular cutter carrier 47 and a pair of annular or centrally apertured disc cutters or saws 48 and 49. That is, the annular carrier 47 is circumposed about the reduced shaft part 35, being keyed thereto as described hereinbefore, and the disc cutters or rotary saw blades 48 and 49 are also circumposed about the reduced shaft part in bearing engagement with opposite ends of the carrier. The annular carrier is provided at its opposite ends with a pair of circumferential flanges 50 and 51 respectively engaging cutters 48 and 49 and securely fastened thereto, as by pins or fasteners 52 and 53. The peripheral edges of the respective cutter discs 48 and 49 may be toothed, serrated, or knife-edged, as desired, it being preferable that the cutter blades are of equal circular dimensions, and rotate together with the shaft 32 forwardly and upwardly, as indicated by the arrow 54 in FIG. 1.

In addition, the housing 11 is provided with guide means, generally designated 55, extending downwardly from and below the housing, spaced downwardly or outwardly from the nether housing opening 12, and there located generally tangent to, and slightly spaced from the blades 48 and 49. More specifically, the guide means 55 may include a pair of laterally spaced arcuate fingers or arms 56 depending from the housing wall 22 and extending forwardly therefrom to the generally tangent location described above. Thus, as best seen in FIG. 1, the guide arm 56 extends arcuately downwardly'and forwardly from the lower edge of housing wall 12 to a generally tangent relation with the cutter disc 49, as in the region 57.

Further, from the generally tangent regions of arms or fingers 56, there are provided forward, generally tangential extensions or projections 58. Interposed between the generally tangent arm regions 57 and projections 58 is a spacer body or block 60, which may be integral with or otherwise fixedly secured to the arms 56. That is, the spacer member 60 may be substantially flat, generally horizontal as seen in the position of the drawings. Further, the spacer member 60 is located in spaced relation below the housing 11, facing upwardly toward the lower housing opening 12. Advantageously, the finger projections 58 and intermediate spacer body may have their terminal portions smoothly curved. In addition, the spacer member 60 has its upper surface 61 at an elevation spaced slightly above the lowermost regions of the cutter wheels 48 and 49. Thus, the spacer member 60 extends upwardly into the space between the lower regions of the cutter wheels. Further, the arms or fingers 56 may be cut away or recessed, as at 62, to spacedly accommodate and receive the lower cutter-wheel regions.

In use, the guide means 55, including the arms or fingers 56 and intermediate spacer 60 are gently engaged beneath the edge of a cast, as represented at 63 in FIG. 1, and moved along the patients person while the cast is severed by cutting action of the discs 48 and 49. That is, the cast is raised or elevated by the guide means 55 into position to be cut by the cutter wheels, and the pair of cutter wheels serve to sever a strip portion from the cast. This strip portion is fully severed from the remainder of the cast by the elevating action of the upper surface 61 of the spacer member 60, and as the castremoval device 10 progresses along the cast, the severed strip portion passes rearwardly relative to the removal device between the cutting discs 48 and 49. Further, the severed cast strip portion passes rearwardly between the fingers or arms 56, below the housing part 20 and its lower opening 12, and over the spacer member 60. This positively effected removal of a strip of the cast greatly facilitates removal of the entire cast. Also, the removal of a strip portion of the cast provides an opening for insertion and continued severance of the cast by the device 10 in a direction normal to the removed strip portion. That is, at any location from which a strip of the cast has been removed, the removal device 10 may be oriented normal to the direction of the removed strip, for continued severance along this latter direction.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides a cast-removal device which fully accomplishes its intended objects and is well adapted to meet practical conditions of manufacture and use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A cast-removal device comprising a housing, a shaft journaled in said housing and adapted for connection to a source of driving power, said housing having an opening communicating inwardly radially of said shaft, a pair of rotary cutter discs circumposed about said shaft at spaced locations therealong and extending radially from said shaft outwardly through said opening, an annular disc carrier circumposed about and keyed to said shaft, fastener means securing said discs to opposite ends of said carrier, said cutter discs being rotatable with said shaft, and guide means extending from said housing generally tangent to said cutter discs at a location spaced outwardly from said opening for engagement beneath a cast to direct the latter into position to be cut by said cutter discs, said guide means comprising a pair of fingers extending from said housing into generally tangential relation and projecting therebeyond, and spacer means interposed between said fingers and spaced from said housing, for passing in the space between said fingers, spacer means and housing a severed cast portion.

2. A cast-removal device according to claim 1, said spacer means extending radially inwardly toward said shaft beyond the peripheries of said discs, for positively separating the severed cast portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,955,129 4/1934 Howe 51168 X 2,139,272 12/1938 Jaworski 30167 2,301,055 11/1942 Lalime 51168 2,344,262 3/ 1944 ODierna 30-167 FOREIGN PATENTS 320,911 3/1920 Germany.

ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner J. C. PETERS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 30167 

